35 Week Doc Appointment

Today's appointment went well. Another quick visit to see how baby and I are doing. Everything is on schedule and looking great. I signed a few consent forms for delivery....doc said if he was born anytime now he should be just fine :) They start checking me next week to see if I'm making any progress. I'm so ready to have this baby!!!! I'm extremely tired, everything is a chore, and I'm just completely ready to meet him!

Christmas is this week & I can't wait. I love this time of the year....seeing family & friends, good times, and good food! I can't believe this is Jordan and I's last Christmas together with just the two of us. The thought still boggles my mind.

Here is an updated pic of my growing belly :) I think I grow a little more each week. He is definitely getting bigger and his movements aren't so "small" anymore. That's all for now---Merry Christmas!!!

33 Week Doctor Appointment

I had my appointment on Monday (dec.6th) and everything went just fine :) Very quick appointment and I have a feeling it might be that way until I hit 36 weeks....then the real fun begins! I have to be a little negative for a minute because I've been in a lot of pain lately. Jaden has been sitting/laying/punching on my sciatic nerve and the pain is getting worse and more constant. It's to the point now where I feel it pretty much all day and it's getting harder to even just walk around because it hurts so bad. I have my next doctor appointment on the 20th and I plan on talking more about it with them because it's getting worse as the weeks go on. I'm pretty sure it's my sciatic nerve, but I would like them to confirm it for me :) So unfortunately, walking and being active are not on my list of things to do anymore. I really hate that because I'm so not the type of person to just rest or lay around. I figure for now I will do what I can and just realize when I need to take a break instead of trying to fight through it and just be in more pain later.

On the more fun/bright side, we purchased Jaden's travel system (stroller & car seat) as well as his coming home outfit! It's getting so close and I'm becoming so anxious. I think just seeing the car seat made it more real. Just knowing a lil' one will be in there soon. So now that those two items are bought, Jaden is pretty much set to start his lil' life with us :) The only things I have on my list now are to clean and organize his room and to pack all of our hospital bags.

Like I said my next appointment is Dec. 20th and I will update again then (hopefully with more info on baby Jaden) and I will post another pic of my growing belly!

32 Week Update

Here I am at 32 weeks! Baby Jaden is definitely growing :) I go to the doctor next week to see how we are doing. Not too long after that I will be going to the doctor every week. The more I think about it the more nervous, anxious, excited, etc. I feel....I have so many emotions going through my head at this point. One day I'm ready and the next I'm not even close. I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for the delivery and that seems to help through a lot of the emotions. I'm still reading my pregnancy books to keep me informed of all the possibilities once it's time to deliver and I also watch a Baby Story on TLC quite often :) I like to see how different each delivery is and how different women handle it. Thanksgiving was on Thursday and now only a few weeks before Christmas is here. I feel like these last 8 months have just flown by. I want to try and enjoy these last weeks of pregnancy as much as possible. I'm still feeling pretty well. I have my good and bad days for sure. Simple tasks aren't so simple anymore and I find myself trying to do things that I probably just shouldn't do anymore haha. Even putting my shoes on is a serious challenge now! Jordan has been really great with helping me out whenever I need it. I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful husband :) Oh, and before I forget....my maternity photo shoot pics are all done and I will have them up in the next few weeks. I can't wait to share them...they came out awesome!

30 Week Update

I went to the doctor on Monday for my 30 week check-up! I can't believe I'm already at this point! I saw Dr. Carter this time and I really love her too. I'm so lucky to have such great doctors....at this point if any of them delivered Jaden I would feel totally comfortable. They said until I hit about 36 weeks my appointments should be pretty quick. They took my blood pressure(normal), my weight, measured me, and listened to Jaden's heartbeat. Jaden's heartbeat was in the 150's this time...he was definitely moving around a lot as soon as they started to push on my belly :) I'm measuring around 28-29cm; which is just fine considering I just hit 30 weeks. My weight is still looking good even though every time I step on that scale I can't believe what I see lol. I go back to the doctor on December 6th.

Jordan finished the dresser and we put it in Jaden's room! His room is almost complete! I love the way everything turned out. I plan on starting to organize things this weekend. Also, this weekend is our maternity photoshoot!!! I can't wait! It's going to be so amazing. All of this makes me realize how close we are to having Lil' J at home with us :) I'm definitely getting more anxious & nervous. I know Jordan and I will be great parents!

Danelle & Ava are here in GA now and I'm glad they are so close! It's really been nice seeing them more often and sharing being pregnant with Danelle. Ava is so smart & amazing! I love watching her play & grow into a lil' lady :) Pretty soon we will be able to have play dates!

I will update soon with some pics of my belly :)

29 Week Update

Ah, I'm 29 weeks!! It's so crazy how this is flying by. I had my doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything went great! I've gained 4 pounds in 4 1/2 weeks, Jaden's heartbeat was around 148 bpm, and I'm measuring exactly 28 cm. My glucose test was this week and honestly, the drink wasn't as bad as everyone made it seem. The blood work of course wasn't fun, but it never is. We already received our result card in the mail and my test was completely normal! It is such a relief considering diabetes runs in the family. I also found out at this appointment that my blood group is RH negative ( 80% of people are RH positive) and at first it made me nervous, but all it really means is my red blood cells don't have the RH factor (protein) on them. If my blood and Jaden's blood were to combine my immune system could possibly shut down. Unfortunately, they won't know if Jaden is RH- or RH+ until he is born , therefore, I had to get a shot of Rhogam to prevent anything from happening just in case. My next 2 appointments will be 2 weeks apart and then I start going to the doctor every week! I can't believe I'm already at this stage. It feels like yesterday I found out I was pregnant.

Jordan and I have been working hard on Jaden's room and it looks so amazing! We are about to start refinishing the dresser I had when I was a baby so we can pass it on to Jaden :) Once that is in the room all the big stuff will be finished. Mostly organizing will come after that. I will definitely take a pic once it's all done.

As far as symptoms go....not too much to complain about :) My back is starting to hurt more as I get further along and Jaden also likes to sit on my sciatic nerve which doesn't feel too good. Its like a shooting pain that goes from my butt down my leg and the only thing that relieves it is sitting or laying down. It doesn't happen all the time so I think I can handle it :) Other than that I'm still feeling good and trying to stay as active as possible. I'm mostly down to just walking now, but I'm keeping up with it so I feel good about it. Plus, Deuce loves his daily walks to the park!

I'm really starting to show now.....it's amazing how much I've grown in the last 4/5 weeks. Here is my 29 week pic! I will update again at my next appointment :)

Jaden's Baby Shower

Jaden's baby shower was yesterday and I had such a great time! Tons of my family and friends were there and it was so good to see everyone. Throughout the entire shower I had to keep reminding myself that this baby shower is for me! It still feels surreal sometimes. My Aunt, mom, and cousins did such a great job putting everything together and it couldn't of turned out more perfect. Jaden got tons of awesome stuff and we are so blessed to have such great family and friends. My cousin Celia flew in all the way from NY to be there and it meant so much to have her there. She came back to the house with Jordan and I to help unpack everything. I'm glad we got to spend some time together :) Of course Jordan and I went non stop going through everything and putting more of Jaden's room together. It's starting to come together and it really looks awesome. My next appointment is in about a week so I will update again then. Here are some pics from the shower and thanks to everyone who was there to make the day so special!

24 Week Update

I had my 24 week appointment today and everything went great! It was a fairly short appointment, but we did a lot more talking this time. I saw Dr. Arona today and by far she is my favorite! She is so sweet and made me feel so comfortable. She told me my weight is right where it should be and she said I'm finally looking pregnant now :) She also measured me and I'm 24cm (which is also exactly what it should be). Jaden's heartbeat was around 152bpm....which was a little higher than last time, but still very normal. I also received a packet of info. with my pre-admission paperwork for the hospital, instructions for my glucose test @ next appointment, and a fetal movement chart that they want me to start doing at 28 weeks. So overall, everything went perfectly! My baby shower is this month on the 23rd and I'm looking forward to that! I'm excited to see everyone and have them share this special time with me. So I guess that's all for now...I will update again around the time of my baby shower.

Growing,Growing,Growing....

Here are some pics of me at 23 close to 24 weeks along! My belly bump is slowly, but surely starting to get bigger :) I'm finally starting to actually "feel" pregnant. Some easy tasks aren't so easy anymore and it's funny how you just adjust yourself to be able to bend down or move around a certain way. I have gained roughly 13-14 pounds and I'm really starting to feel it! My pregnancy book says my weight gain is right where it should be so I feel good about that. I'm still feeling just as good as before with a few minor things that aren't so fun. My back is starting to hurt, usually right when I wake up in the morning and before I go to bed at night. Also, the chairs at work don't really help much either. I'm still having some trouble sleeping and getting comfortable, but I definitely don't get up as much to use the restroom (at least for right now). I'm still staying active by doing my own little weight workouts and walking Deuce either at the park or around the neighborhood. So overall I'm doing really well! As for baby....Jaden is definitely working on his jabs and kicks. I feel him move all the time and I still get butterflies every time I do. I can't wait to meet our lil' man! We painted his room this weekend and it looks awesome! I love the color. We also did some furniture placement on where we thought things would look best. Doing all these little things make me so excited! My next appointment is on Monday (October 4th) and I will definitely update again then :)

IT'S A BOY!

So it's confirmed....Jaden Lee Seckinger is due January 20, 2011. We are so excited! My estimated due date was January 22nd, but Jaden is measuring a little ahead. The ultrasound today was absolutely amazing! He was very active and we got some great pictures. The heart rate was at 143bpm and he weighs about .83lbs (13.28oz). We saw Dr. Kolhagen today and she is so great....she said everything looks wonderful and measuring out just perfect. Jordan and I are so blessed! We can't wait to meet lil' man :) This weekend we will definitely get started on our registry items and possibly a paint color for the room. I'm so excited, I can hardly think straight :) My next appointment is October 4th. I will update again very soon. Here are some pics--

20 Week Update

I'm halfway there!! I can't believe how fast 20 weeks has gone by. I'm REALLY starting to "feel" pregnant now. There is pretty much no use in trying to hide the belly bump :) I bought my first pair of maternity jeans this weekend and I must say they aren't too bad. Not my cutest pair of jeans ever, but definitely not the worst. I'm still feeling really well...nothing major going on at all. The baby moves quite often now. I feel the baby move at least a few times a day....usually when I'm just sitting still is when I notice it the most. It really is an amazing feeling. Still no weird food aversions and I pretty much eat most of what I used to before the pregnancy. I have gained a good 10 pounds & I figure that's pretty good for the halfway mark :) Jordan and I are extremely anxious for our appointment tomorrow! BOY OR GIRL?? Ah, I'm so excited. I'm ready for baby to have a name! All the fun stuff starts really soon...painting the room, starting our registries, and the crib/changing table should be arriving in the mail any day now. I'm really enjoying this experience. I can still say that this all seems so surreal, but I couldn't be more happy. Jordan is going to be such an awesome father and I just hope that I can match up to everything he will have to offer. I think that's it for now because I will be updating again tomorrow after our appointment. Here are some 20 week pics....

I think baby likes Taebo, too!

For a few weeks now I have thought maybe I felt the baby move, but I just couldn't be sure. Finally, this weekend Jordan and I were laying in bed and I felt something! I knew for sure that this was different. It almost felt like bubbles in my stomach. So I told Jordan to put his hand on my stomach and just wait for it...praying it would happen again so he could feel. Sure enough, it did...over and over! It was so exciting to experience that. It makes everyday of this pregnancy feel more and more "real." Since then I have felt the baby only a few times here and there, but nothing too significant. In both the pregnancy books that I'm reading, they say baby is practicing their kicks and punches everyday. Just like me! I have been feeling really great lately so I've been keeping up with eating well and working out. I do a mixture of strength training, taebo, walking Deuce, and Yoga/Pilates. It keeps me interested and if one day I don't feel too great, I just get right back on it the next day. So I really hope this keeps up! We also did our computer room/guest room transformation this weekend. The computer is now in the guest room and it works out perfectly. I really like the setup we have and I'm glad it worked out. Now what used to be the "office" will become baby room! The closet and room are all cleared out and ready for baby stuff. I can't wait :) It's hard to believe in 2 weeks I will be halfway through this pregnancy. Next update will be the "big" appointment!

17 Week Update

So here I am at 17 weeks! I'm definitely "showing", but still at that in between stage. Clothes are still a challenge at the moment and I will be purchasing my first pair of maternity jeans shortly :) I'm still feeling great and just counting down the days until my 20 week appointment! A friend let me borrow another good pregnancy book called "Your Pregnancy, Week by Week." I really like this book; it breaks down everything on you, baby, symptoms, appointments, etc. In the book, it says this week you might feel the baby move...if not then it should happen in the next few weeks. I have been laying down just watching my stomach to see haha. But no movement (that I can feel) yet. Jordan and I have been busy finishing up the hall bath & guest room (painting & moving around furniture). We figured this is a good time to get those out of the way because next comes baby room! Well, thats really it for now. I will update before my 20 week appointment if anything new happens.

16 Week Appointment

Today was my 16 week and 1 day appointment :) This appointment was the most "boring" out of all the appointments so far. No ultrasound this time....just additional blood work, hearing of the heartbeat, and measurement of my uterus. They don't have the results back from my blood work at last appointment yet because they need the blood work from this appointment to finish all the testing. They will be testing for many things for me and baby both; so pray for great results! The heartbeat was a lot slower than it was from my last two appointments (in the 140's) , but still very normal. I'm measuring 17 cm, which is perfect considering I'm 16 weeks. The doctor said you can always give or take a few centimeters. Speaking of the doctor, this was my first appointment seeing an actual doctor and not a nurse practitioner. I REALLY loved her and I hope to see her more often. We have to do a rotation between all 4 doctors there because they can't guarantee who will deliver you. My next appointment will be with Dr. Kolhagen. I've seen her before and I really liked her also so I'm excited about that. I'm also very excited because September 8th we will find out the gender of our lil' one! I've been soooo anxious for this appointment. Ugh, I can barely talk about it I'm so excited. I'm just really ready to know. Then the real fun begins.....SHOPPING :)

Symptoms: Okay, so I don't want to jinx myself, but I've been feeling really well lately. I haven't had a headache in a while, my digestive system seems pretty normal (haha), still tired often(but much more manageable), and I've been able to keep a pretty good routine with working out. I must say it is very difficult to work 40 hours a week, be pregnant, and try to keep a work out routine going. I give myself credit for trying my best :)

Food: Oh how I love food...haha. I must say I have absolutely no food aversions and haven't through this whole pregnancy so far. I really thought my one craving was going to be pickles because for a good two weeks there I had to have at least one or two a day. But I must say I'm over it.....don't get me wrong, I still love pickles, but not so much a craving anymore. No foods really make me sick....something might bother my stomach a little, but nothing crazy. I must say eating healthy and eating small meals rather than large ones does help digestion A LOT.

Belly Bump: My belly bump is doing just grand :) I'm still not really at the point where someone who didn't know me would look at me and say, "She is definitely pregnant." They might say I need to lose a few pounds in the stomach area though...haha. To me, I look bloated and flubby....to others I look pregnant. I guess I'm still in between. I'm still hanging onto my one pair of jeans that fit for dear life! Maternity jeans will be coming my way shortly!

Weight Gain: I just love this subject....I have gained a total of 7-8 pounds. Now trust me, I know when your pregnant you HAVE to gain weight, but man...I really don't like looking at that scale. It just feels weird to weigh that much more. I guess my weight has been consistent for so long it feels weird to just accept putting on weight. Especially since I feel like a flub right now. But maybe I should save the complaining for when I'm 39 weeks and waddling around :)

I will update with a belly bump pic in the next week or so!!!! Stay tuned....

Welcome to the Second Trimester!

So, I posted my first baby belly pic at 14 weeks. I'm just starting to show and clothes are becoming a little more of a challenge these days. I have one pair of jeans that fit comfortably right now, so other than that I'm wearing either workout clothes, sundresses, or work scrubs of course. Not too much has changed since my last update. I'm still feeling really well. Unfortunately, fatigue is the one major symptom I fight pretty much everyday. Jordan and I went to our first baby consignment sale last week! There was TONS of things to buy for great prices. We really aren't interested in buying too much before we find out the gender, but we are somewhat looking for a crib and dresser. We figured a consignment sale was the best place to start :) We didn't find exactly what we were looking for, but we have plenty of time to keep looking. Anyways, my next appointment is in about 2 weeks and I will update again then!

12 Week Appointment

Here is baby at 12 weeks and 4 days! My appointment today went great. We had another ultrasound to see baby and hear the heartbeat. 167 bpm this time! Baby is very active and healthy (moving arms, legs, and turning around constantly). It was so surreal to see this. It is more amazing than I could have ever imagined. Baby has also grown quite a bit since last visit. 6.23 cm in length :) About the size of a peach. I also had A LOT of blood work done today--not the most exciting part of the visit, but it definitely wasn't as bad as I thought. I should get the results soon, but the doctor said no worries because I'm a very healthy young lady :) The doctor also went over all of my medical history as well as family history. This appointment was much more in depth than my last one so I felt better leaving this time around. My next visit is August 9th (4 weeks from today) and I will be 16 weeks! It's going by so fast already! The appointment after my 16 weeks will be 20 weeks and we get to find out boy or girl. I can't wait for that appointment!

Symptoms update: My symptoms lately have varied from day to day. I do feel a lot better, but I still get some headaches, fatigue, and stomach issues. No food aversions yet....just the occasional...."Ok I want this particular food and I have to have it right now!" feeling. My weight hasn't really changed much...I would say I've gained around 1 to 2 pounds since last visit. I'm sure that will pick up soon enough so I'll enjoy this now. I am actually sleeping better lately than I have in the past few weeks so I'm happy about that. Other than those few things I'm feeling really good. I'm trying to take in every experience big or small.

Jordan update: Jordan is so wonderful! Don't mean to brag, but I really do have the most awesome husband ever :) He helps me out all the time...whether I need the help or not it's still done. He takes into consideration every symptom I have...big or small. Again, having him at this appointment made things 100 times better (especially during the blood work part). I'm so glad that we get to experience this together and I really appreciate everything he does.

Workout update: I love my new yoga/pilates dvd! The lady in the video is kinda "cheesy", but I really enjoy the actual workout. It is so different than anything I've tried before. I've been trying to alternate Taebo and yoga/pilates (along with walking Deuce). This really helps me feel more energized so I plan to continue this until the last day!

Why Am I So Tired?!?!

So, I thought I would do a quick update before my 12 week appointment on Wednesday (July 14th). In the past week or so, things have really started to change. I've had a great pregnancy so far, but the symptoms that weren't so bad before are starting to intensify now. I am more tired now than ever. I find it really hard to just do normal chores around the house. I have experienced shortness of breath a few times at work, but it didn't last long. My stomach is absolutely out of whack. I really don't know what to eat anymore! I try one thing and I'm okay....I try another and I'm in the bathroom. Oh, and how could I forget those lovely headaches. So things are constantly changing! But believe me, I'm not complaining. All these changes and new experiences are very exciting! Well....maybe not the being in the bathroom part :) I'm very anxious for my next appointment to see how baby and I are doing.

My First Baby Purchase: Well...sorta for baby, but for me too! I bought a pregnancy yoga & pilates DVD that you can use before, during, and after pregnancy. My first day will be today so I will keep updated on how I like it. I've never really been into yoga & pilates, but it's supposed to be great for your changing body.

I guess that's pretty much it for now! I will put up a new pic and post in a few days!

8 Week Appointment

Today was my 8 week (and 4 days to be exact) appointment! This was the first appointment so I had some anxiety going into it. Everything turned out being a lot quicker than I expected. We did an ultrasound first and it was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. Baby is doing great and mom is too of course :) Baby is doing plenty of growing this week and is about the size of a grape right now. We also got to hear the heartbeat---162 bpm. After that, we had a chance to talk to one of the nurse practitioners and received tons of information to read up on. I really didn't have any questions yet, but I'm sure those will come up as I go along. I think this first appointment was more overwhelming than anything. It is so much to take in and my emotions are a little all over the place right now. I'm feeling great and I can't wait to continue this awesome journey. My next appointment is July 14th (I will be 12 weeks) and they informed me that they will be doing a lot more at that appointment so expect to be there awhile :) I posted a pic of our little one!

Jordan update: Jordan went with me to the first appointment today and I was so thankful to have him there. He really keeps me calm and grounded when I'm feeling stressed. I never really thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love him, but I seriously love him more with every day that goes by. This is going to be such an awesome experience for us and I really can't wait! He also gets brownie points for taking me to breakfast today :)

Symptoms: Thankfully, I haven't experienced any morning sickness! I'm so happy that this pregnancy has gone smoothly so far. I have been continuing to workout, which makes me feel better and I want to continue to stay on a routine as much as possible. I haven't really had any good or bad symptoms with foods yet. I'm sure that will be in the weeks to come :) So overall I'm feeling great and hope to continue that!

SURPRISE!

How it all started: 7 pregnancy tests later....it's confirmed that we are pregnant! It was definitely a surprise for us, but a wonderful surprise indeed. It's funny how your body tries to tell you things. The week before the confirmation I was feeling really sick, but not "pregnancy symptom sick." I had a horrible sore throat, body aches, and headache. I thought for sure here comes strep throat (since I'm unfortunately prone to that). The weekend came along and I knew my period was about 8 days late. It just seemed logical to at least take a pregnancy test to make sure. Sure enough, it was positive! That was about the time I put Deuce (our dog) in the car and off we went to CVS to buy 5 more tests. I mean you want to be sure, right? :) That Monday I called my OB/GYN and they won't see me until 8 weeks :( Disappointing news because I thought they would see me right away. Being the impatient person that I am, I called my M.D. next and they told me to come in. They confirmed another pregnancy test and gave me some helpful hints until my 8 week appointment.

Jordan update: Jordan has been so wonderful! He is being so calm (at least for now,hehe) and that really helps me since I'm feeling a lot of anxiety. We bought the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book and read it together everyday (so far). This journey is such a blessing and I can't wait to cherish every moment with him.

Symptoms: Frequent urination(which is ridiculous because I go a lot already as it is), fatigue, sore chest, and some nausea. I really haven't had any signs of morning sickness(or all day sickness as some people say), but that could be in the upcoming weeks. So I'll keep praying I don't get too much of that.

Who knows the news?: We have only told immediate family and VERY close friends the news. We want to keep it close until our 8 week appointment or possibly until we hear a heartbeat. Depending on how we both feel :)

That's all for now! I will update again at my 8 week appointment(June 16th) or if anything changes.